5 ways to put the fizz into home fitness workouts
Adults and children alike can take the opportunity to actively participate in home workouts
Interactive technology helps to ensure that getting fit at home is fun. Here are five of the best pieces of home-gym equipment to put the fizz into solo workouts.
ICAROS
ICAROS is a wireless fitness machine hooked to virtual reality. It moves freely vertically and horizontally.
How is it interactive? Once the goggles are on, players can “fly”, “swim”, compete on the racetrack or navigate in space. The intensity and duration can be adjusted to suit different fitness levels.
How to use it: Balance using what is known as the plank position on the platform. After putting on the virtual reality glasses, you will see yourself in the selected environment, and you can control the movement by shifting your centre of gravity. For example, while you are horizontal on the exercise machine, you can move your shoulders forward to fly in a downward direction. So hold onto the handles, and get ready to soar.
Peloton Bike
This spin bike that attaches to a sweat-resistant tablet merges gym quality equipment with expert instruction, metrics and classes. Users can stream up to 14 live classes daily broadcast from the studio in New York City. If they miss a live class, they can view more than 4,000 on-demand classes from Peloton’s library.
How is it interactive? The instructors in the studio often give “shout-outs” to riders at home by name during live classes, and riders can video chat with other online cyclists elsewhere in the world.
How to use it: Adjust the handlebars until you feel comfortable and then select a class from a catalogue of on-demand rides. You can choose one from the menu depending on instructor, language, level and date. If you want to join the live class, check the schedule and be aware of time zone differences. You will get an e-mail notification 15 minutes before your ride.
Stealth
Stealth is a dynamic planking system that offers access to the gaming platform of users’ smartphones, adding a little fun to a challenging workout.
H ow is it interactive? This plank board offering 360-degree motion requires users to twist their body to pass the challenges during the game. Players hold planks for three minutes per game and their score is tallied on a global leaderboard, which can be challenged by friends.
How to use it: Download Stealth Gaming app on your smartphone and then place it in the designated slot. Choose the game and get into the plank position. You tilt, you twist the board to control a game app. Juts let your core muscles be the joysticks and start the game.
Activ5
The Activ 5 is like having a tiny gym in your pocket. This sleek wireless-enabled strength training device provides dozens of isometric exercises and more than 100 seated, standing and advanced fast and fun low-impact workouts for the whole body. Its corresponding mobile app measures users’ force in pounds, tracks performance gains and offers a suite of casual games.
How is it interactive? With a smartphone, players use muscle force to “drive”,” ski” and “beat” an opponent down. Activ 5 has launched its first multiplayer game, allowing players to compete in a sumo match against digital or real-life opponents.
How to use it: Download the app on your smartphone, choose the programme you like and follow the guide, start five minute workouts. You may need to squeeze and press the device depending on the type of game.
A post shared by Fisher-Price (@fisherprice) on Jul 23, 2017 at 9:13am PDT
Fisher-Price Think & Learn Smart Cycle
Children can also become active in fitness. This bike, aimed at three to six year-olds, engages children to play games on a tablet or TV screen while pedalling. The four learning apps feature an age-appropriate curriculum based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics and other skills, believed to improve “letters and phonics”, “spelling and vocabulary” and “reading and rhyming”.
How is it interactive? A child needs to pedal forward or backward at certain speeds and steer the handlebar to complete their mission. In one of the reading games, the player has to ride around collecting letters in order to form words.
How to use it: Download the app for racing and learning games. You can play on a tablet or TV via Bluetooth wireless. Then teach your children to stay concentrated and to hold the handlebars, and control the joystick.
